


A castle and a ghost story.

by BarPurple



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Rumbelle Summer Vacation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-13
Updated: 2017-08-13
Packaged: 2018-12-15 01:05:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11795229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BarPurple/pseuds/BarPurple
Summary: Rumple, Belle and Gideon visit Northumberland on their extended Summer Vacation.





	A castle and a ghost story.

The weather was vile. Both Belle and Rumple were used to what the skies of Maine could throw at them, but Northumberland had a different approach to rain. It slunk out of the sky in a driving drizzle that didn’t look like rain, but could soak you to the bone within moments of being outside.

“Almost like being inside the cloud isn’t it?”

Rumple’s answer was an incoherent grunt because he had Gid’s clean romper suit between his teeth as he tried to wrestle their uncooperative son out of the clothes he’d worn all day. Belle smiled happily as she watched the battle. Gid was alternating between chewing the ear of his beloved Eddie the Elephant and bashing his Papa with the stuffed pachyderm. When the toy bounced off his nose for the third time Rumple rolled his eyes and snatched it from Gid’s grasp. He wiggled it in the air as if Eddie was talking to Gid.

“Now behave. Eddie doesn’t want to sleep with a stinky boy.”

Gid chewed on his toes for a moment and then made grabby hands at his toy. Rumple took this as agreement and took advantage of his slightly less wiggly son to change him. Belle turned her attention to the rain misted window again and wondered if they would be able to see any of Northumberland during their stay.

The rain turned into a full blown thunderstorm around midnight. Belle startled awake to the lingering dreams of ogres and the sound of Gid crying. Still half asleep Rumple was already rolling out of bed, crooning softly to reassure their son that he wasn’t alone. Belle sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes musing that Henry been a star when he found that travel cot for them on Amazon. It had been one of the best holiday essentials they had purchased before they set off on their journey. The adapter plugs that Snow had gifted them were useful, but the cot was a blessing. Many of the hotels they had stayed in claimed to be family friendly, but provided flimsy cots that Belle wouldn’t dream of letting Gid spend a half hour in, let alone the night. She had been scathing in her reviews; beauty-with-a-passport had gained quite a reputation on Tripadvisor for providing harsh feedback for hotels that failed to meet the basics for family accommodation. 

Another crack of thunder made Belle shiver and Gid whimper against Rumple’s shoulder. Belle didn’t know if Gid had inherited her fear of thunderstorms, or if he still carried some fear from his first upbringing in the Black Fairy’s realm. She shook away all thoughts of what had been and focused on making the present easier for all of them. Rumple frowned as she slid out of the bed and pulled on her robe.

“Sweetheart?”

Belle snagged his robe from the bottom of the bed and wrapped it around his shoulders.

“Let’s go down to the bar. There are books there.”

Rumple’s face lit up in understanding as he pressed a quick kissed to her head and whispered; “You are your mother’s son Gid my boy.”

The Caster Inn advertised itself as “ye olde worlde” which was a phrase that made Rumple and Belle laugh, but in this case it was true. The old coaching inn was very like the inns back in the Enchanted Forest with its smoke blackened beams and open fires. The thing that marked it apart from the inns they both knew was the fact the bar was lined with bookshelves; literacy had not been a big feature back in the olde worlde that Rumple and Belle had grown up in. Belle had been delighted to find that the shelves here bore a sign encouraging people to take a book and leave one in return. It was to this haven that Belle took her little family as lightening ripped the sky, hoping that the scent of books would reassure Gid as it did her.

They were not the only ones seeking the solace that the bar-come-library offered this stormy night. In a wingback chair by the fireplace they found the owner of the inn, a steel haired, bespectacled lady that Rumple had declared a carbon copy of their Storybrooke Granny. Thankfully this formidably old lady was not a werewolf, (as far as they knew), and had no preconceptions about Rumple, even though she went by the name of Nanna, which was another sign that the realms were too small to be believed as far as Rumple was concerned.

“Three more who can’t sleep hey? Ah well now I’ve reason to make hot chocolate.”

Belle was about to tell her not to go to any trouble on their account when another growl of thunder and stab of lightening tore at the sky. She jumped and grabbed Rumple’s arm so tightly that she must have hurt him, but his only response was to wrap an arm around her as he crooned a Frontland lullaby into Gid’s hair.  
Nanna, who had jumped as well, gave a sniff and a curt nod.

“Three hot chocolates it is then, or is the young man allowed one?”

Gid was approaching seven months old now and while Belle was relaxing into the role of mother she was still very cautious; chocolate in any form wasn’t allowed yet, although she suspected that Rumple had been bending that rule a little; it was highly likely that Gid would have his father’s sweet tooth. Rumple solved her dilemma of how to politely refuse Nanna’s offer on their son’s behalf by pulling a bottle of milk from the pocket of his robe.

“Could we warm this up for him?”

Nanna pointed Rumple to the bottle warmer that sat on the bar; it was little touches like this that ensured The Crastor Inn would be getting a five star review from Belle. Rumple handed Gid to Belle as he went to warm the bottle so Belle settled herself in a chair by the fire and entertained Gid by playing peek-a-boo with Eddie. Nanna returned just behind Rumple bearing a tray with three steaming cups of hot chocolate and a bottle of spirits.

“I wasn’t sure if you’d want a dram of Cointreau, or not.”

Rumple declined; “I might be driving in the morning.”

Nanna didn’t argue with him and handed him his cup which he cautiously sniffed.

“Is that nutmeg?”

“Ah, you’ve a good nose. That it is, I know there is a fashion for cinnamon these days but I’m an old woman and I’m stuck in my ways.”

Belle smothered her giggle behind Gid’s head; Rumple had never taken to cinnamon in hot chocolate for all that it was loved by Henry. Nanna raised the bottle of spirits at her and Belle bit her lip. Rum reached out and squeezed her arm; “Go on, sweetheart, a wee one won’t hurt.”

“Oh go on then.”

Nanna poured a tiny amount into her cup and stirred it well before handing it to Rumple to place on the table in front of Belle. Another flash of lightening stabbed the sky and Belle winced again as Rumple’s hand rubbed soothingly across her shoulders. Nanna was counting and sighed when she reached four before the thunder rumbled.

“It’s moving on, thank God for that, I can’t abide thunderstorm, reminds me too much of the war.”

For an instant Belle almost asked her about ogres before catching herself. Rumple covered up her slight stutter by saying; “We were planning to walk up to the castle tomorrow, but I guess we’ll have to find something else to do.”

Nanna took a sip of her hot chocolate and shook her head; “It’ll be bright and clear come the morning, as long as you’ve a stout pair of boots a piece you’ll be fine.”

“Oh well that’s good then. We’ll stop at that coop shop and grab supplies for a picnic…”

Rumple trailed off with a frown as Nanna chuckled; “You have been away along time ain’t you laddie? It’s Co-Op, short for co-operative.”

When they had checked in Nanna had asked if Rumple was from North of the Boarder, his Frontland’s accent had often caused people to think he was from Scotland; they’d stuck with the story the Curse memories provided and explained that he’d been born in Glasgow, but moved to Maine when he was very young. His frown melted away as he tried the word for himself; “Co-Op, that does make more sense, I was wondering if they were specialists in chickens.”

“That and everything else, good place to get picnic fixings.”

A brief flicker of lightening flashed across the windows, the weak grumble of thunder that followed it didn’t even make Gid fuss. Nanna waited until it had faded before she asked; “Do you know of the ghost story that goes along with the Castle?”

Rumple and Belle shook their heads.

“Ah well if you’ve a mind to listen to a tale…”

Belle nodded keenly as Rumple took Gid from her so she could drink her hot chocolate, it was still hot which made her suspect he’d used a touch of magic, but she couldn’t complain as the taste of orange and chocolate melted on her tongue. Nanna shifted in her seat and began to tell the story.

“It was a dreadful stormy night much like this one when Sir Guy found himself in need of shelter. Since he had taken the cliff road he was too far from the village to head toward the coaching inn so he turned his horse toward the ruins of Dunstanburgh Keep which was the only building of any sorts that would offer shelter from the tempest. His horse had more sense than he and bolted as they approached the ruins of Tom Plantagenet’s castle. Now my great-granddad he said that Sir Guy’s horse found his way to our inn and became the stud that provided us with the coaching horses that made this inn great back in the old days. I’ve no idea if that is true, but such is the stuff of family legends.

The rain soaked Sir Guy, no doubt cussing his errant nag, made it to the ruins of the keep and found a place sheltered from the driving wind and rain. He’d scarce had time to light a fire when the twisted figure of a corpse ridden hag appeared to him. All tales say that Sir Guy bravely faced the spectre and demanded to know its business, I suppose he must have since the bards tend not to sing of knights who widdle their britches and run screaming from a ghost like a sensible person would.”

Belle reached for Rumple’s hand, she knew as well as he that tales of great heroes and villains could begin with running away. He smiled softly at her, and she felt relieved that he’d not taken Nanna’s words to heart.

“The spectre told him of a shining beauty imprisoned in a secret room in the castle, and being the gallant knight he was he asked to be shown her resting place that he might rescue her. The spectre led him up a twisting staircase, much higher than the ruined tower, and ushered him into a room filled with a hundred sleeping knights and their horses. At the centre of the room in a crystal casket laid the most beautiful maiden Sir Guy had ever seen.

I suspect he wanted to wake her in the traditional manner for waking a sleeping beauty, with a kiss, but the spectre pointed out the two snakes at the head of the tomb, one holding a sword and the other a horn. Sir Guy was told to pick one, for only the right one could wake the beauty.”

Rumple glanced at Belle; he could almost hear her thinking her way through the riddle the knight had faced. Had they been alone he would have pointed out that applying the rules of Enchanted Forest magic to the tales of this land was impractical, the rules were too different, and without seeing the casket, snakes and maiden for themselves there was no way to be sure they had all the facts. That wouldn’t have stopped Belle from trying to puzzle it out and it didn’t.

“He blew the horn didn’t he?”

Nanna nodded; “Aye he did and the knights awoke and charged at him in such an almighty rush that he fainted, but as he fell unconscious he heard the spectre’s taunting voice say 'Now shame on the coward who sounded a horn, and the knight who sheathed a sword.' He awoke the next morn to a clear day and spent the rest of his life trying to find his way back to the shining beauty. They say he stalks the castle still poor soul.”

The rain had receded and the thunder was long gone, the only sound in the room was Gid’s gentle snores and the odd crinkle from the ears of Eddie the Elephant. Nanna gave a deep sigh and pushed herself from her chair.

“Looks like the storm’s blown itself out. I’ll away to bed now. Breakfast normally finishes at nine, but I’ll see to it you get what you want when you wake up no matter the time.”

She waved away their protests; “Ah you’ve kept me company through the storm, it’ll be no trouble.”

They thanked her and exchange good nights before heading back to their room. The instant he was laid in his cot Gid rolled into his blankets with a sleepy smile on his face. Belle and Rumple slipped into bed and snuggled together before Belle asked; “Which would you have picked the horn or the sword?”

Rumple gave a soft chuckle; “Depends on which way the knights were facing, sweetheart.”

“What do you mean?”

Rum shifted against the pillows and yawned; “Were they going to attack the sleeping beauty or defend her…”

“Good point…”

-x-x-x-

As Nanna had predicted the next day dawned bright and clear. Belle had awoken around seven, but neither Gid nor Rumple were overly keen to get out of bed. Gid was easy to encourage toward wakefulness, the instant Belle went to change his nappy he decided that wriggling was more fun than sleeping. Rumple was a little more difficult, but Gid bouncing on the bed and Belle promising him a strong cuppa finally roused him enough to get vertical.

Over a full English breakfast, and in Rumple’s case several strong cups of tea as well, they decided that they wouldn’t need to drive anywhere. The walk along to the castle was easy enough and the Co-Op was on the way, so once they had loaded Gid into his stroller they were ready to go. 

In the shop Gid proved to be his father’s son by sneaking a box of cherry tarts from the shelf. Belle didn’t notice he was holding them until the lady on the till asked if they were to pay for as well. She blushed and plucked them from Gid’s hands to let the lady scan them.

“I’m so sorry I didn’t see him pick them up.”

“Not to worry, no harm done.”

Belle was sure she heard Rumple muttering praise to Gid on his good taste, but she decided to let this moment of almost sticky fingeredness slide since they hadn’t actually walked out of the shop without paying for them.

The walk along to the castle along the cliff tops was gentle. Belle found herself distracted with the stunning scenery of the sea rolling into the beach below the cliffs to the point where Rumple took over pushing Gid’s stroller because she was stopping every few feet to take a photo.

“Oh! Rumple!”

He was at her side in an instant and grinned with her at the patch of spongey ground she’d ambled on to.

“Did you think it’s safe?”

Rumple bounced on his toes, “Feels like it. How bizarre.”

“Feels like walking on a sponge cake.”

He snorted and stepped back onto the gravel path, “One of yours maybe, this is more like walking on one of mine.”

Belle giggled, Rumple was good in the kitchen, but cakes were his failure, they tended to sink and turn tough, thankfully cakes were the only thing Belle could cook so they complimented each other well.

Gid was babbling clearly wanting to join in with whatever was making his parents giggle, but they decided that letting him out of the stroller at this point wasn’t a good idea, the cliff edge was a sheer drop on to the beach below and Gid had proven many times how quickly he could move when he wanted to. 

“Once we get to the castle you can have a toddle around, okay Gid?”

“Astl.” 

Gid waved Eddie in the direction of the ruins which loomed on the cliff.

“Yes Gid, castle.”

“Papa astl?”

“No darling not Papa’s castle.”

They set off again and after a little while Rumple softly asked; “Do you think he remembers my castle?”

Belle hooked her arm through his and hugged herself into his side, making the stroller wobble.

“I don’t know. In a way I hope he does, it might be his only chance to see it.”

Rumple hummed and bumped his shoulder against Belle. She had a feeling he was dwelling on this more deeply than he was ready to let on. She resolved to ask him about it again tonight once Gid was asleep.

It didn’t take long to reach the ruins of the castle and once they had stepped through the gate that led to the grounds Belle stopped Rumple so she could take a picture of him and Gid with the tumble down tower in the background. The National Trust who looked after this site had provided handy information boards detailing the history of the castle and the wildlife that now made the ruins their home. Belle snapped a shot of the board that told the tale of Sir Guy the Seeker.

“Do you think he ever found her again?”

“I don’t know sweetheart,” Rumple reached out his hand to touch the rocks of the keep and Belle heard the crackle of magic, “There is still magic here, not from our world either, this is old.”

“Are we safe here, Rumple?”

“Oh yes, it feels finished,” Rumple shrugged, “Maybe Sir Guy found his shining beauty again after all.”


End file.
